Job:03171 Title:Typography Referenced (Rockport)
Page: 213
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Text
Job:03171 Title:Typography Referenced (Rockport)
Page: 213
213
Typographic Principles
Even with just a glance of the Union poster by /
Michael Osborne Design, the reader knows that a
patriotic message sits around the larger headline,
not only because of the large type, but also
because of the red, white, and blue color scheme.
Display Type
Display type needs to quickly
catch readers’ attention, much
like the messages on posters,
advertisements, and promotions
made popular during the late
nineteenth century (). Using
typographic size to gain attention
continues to this day, where asser-
tiveness can help cut through the
competitive visual noise. While
text type () rarely relies on
these measures to get attention,
headlines and subheads in printed
and digital matter must pull in
readers, delineate levels of infor-
mation, tell readers where they are,
and keep their attention.
Display type must be legible (),
of course, but because the reader
can decipher the small chunks of
type rather quickly, legibility may
not be as important as with text
type. Also, the concept or message
may call for something with
more vigor and exuberance. Slab
serifs () such as Rockwell (),
Memphis (), and Clarendon
() all have enough weight and
character for use as display type
in headlines or subheads. When
enlarged, many of the raw visual
forms become present for Old
Style () and Garalde serif faces,
so use these for display type with
consideration. Finally, a variety of
sans serifs and scripts can also do
the job well.
AdamsMorioka, Inc., paired a serif-faced
headline that announces the Mohawk
Via brand with a delicate, formal script
for the quality assurance statement.
To enable distance reading and announce the place illustrated on Jennifer
Beorkrem’s poster, “The Great Lakes” is set in a large typeface, while the
smaller typographic elements mapped on the lakes identify each body of water.
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